Stockholm Sydrome
by WaterLily25
Summary: What the game didn't tell you about Axel's time spent with his captive.


Kairi opened her eyes and saw a very familiar place, the beach where she had spent most of her childhood. It looked the same; it was twilight, the sun setting fire to the low lying clouds over the horizon and the water was gentle as it fell onto the shore and retreated. The water was orange, glowing from the sun's rays, and the sky was a mix of purple and orange, the night stars beginning to appear.

She loved this place more than any other but she stared at it with a confused expression. She last remembered sleeping in a cold dark room then darkness swallowing her, bringing her here…

She heard another portal appear behind her and she turned around. The dark flames faded into the sand, leaving her captor standing before her.

She looked at Axel for a long moment, watching the light of the setting sun play in his bright red hair which was almost glowing. His bottle green eyes were striking here, perhaps a reaction of the light reflecting off the ocean. His face was grave as he walked past her, stepping nearer to the gentle shore.

Her voice was angry when she spoke, "Why did you bring me here?"

Axel did not look at the girl. He placed his hands on his hips, relaxing his back, and stared out at the ocean, letting its breezes blow over his heated face.

He smirked, "I thought you'd like to get a bit of fresh air."

Kairi's brow furrowed as she stared at his tall lean figure, his long black leather cloak stark against the beautiful scenery, out of place. She didn't expect an Organization member, especially her captor, to bring her somewhere that held such a special place in her heart.

"You want me to take you back?" he asked darkly, glancing at her over his shoulder.

As soon as he had asked the question, she took a step back as if he had reached for her. She would put up a fight before going back to the castle; she was tired of seeing Organization members. And to be so close to home, only to be ripped away from it again…that was beyond cruelty.

He turned away from her, still smiling to himself, "that's what I thought."

But Axel seemed different as he stood at the foot of the shore. He seemed more relaxed, not as tense as before when he had captured her, brought her to Castle Oblivion, and casted her into a secret room where he kept her. All she had seen for the past week was darkness and Nobodies…why would he bring her here now?

Axel was silent, as still as a statue, and kept his eyes fixed on the distant horizon.

Kairi stayed where she stood, confused as to how she was supposed to act towards this unknown kindness from this Nobody; a Nobody who had stolen her from this place days ago. He seemed troubled, and her better judgment told her that she shouldn't care…

She took a breath, her blue eyes clouded with doubt, as she walked closer to him. She stood next to him, placing distance between them, and looked at his face. His mane-like hair swayed in the ocean breeze and his stunning green eyes were narrowed.

Kairi looked down at her hands, her fingers playing with one of the zippers on her pink dress to relieve her confused nerves, and squinted as she looked back up to the brilliant sunset.

"Axel?"

The Nobody did not give any sign that he had heard her but she looked at him, trying to read his face, and spoke softly, "Why are we here? Of all places…"

Axel's thin lips smirked but the humor of his expression did not touch his eyes. "I wanted…"

She stared at him, waiting patiently as she watched his thoughts cloud his eyes. He suddenly looked sad.

"I wanted to see what would happen if I brought you here," he confessed, his green eyes troubled beyond what she thought possible for a Nobody.

"What do you mean?" She said gently, realizing she wanted to genuinely know what he was thinking…her behavior was beginning to confuse her as much as his was.

"I thought you'd be happy," he said almost impatiently, looking sideways at her. He smiled innocently as his eyes narrowed cleverly. "I thought you wanted _this_," he waved his hand out to the ocean.

But his smirk was replaced with a sad scowl. He shook his head, his spiky red mane dusting his back, and he sat down on the sand, leaning against his knees.

Kairi sat down as well, letting the tip of her shoes touch the edge of the water. She spoke carefully, not wanting his temper to flare up if she said the wrong thing: Axel was well known for his short fuse and she wasn't sure if he would not hurt her.

"What did you want to happen?"

"I don't know," he said huskily with a sad smile. "I wanted to see…what you see in this place."

"What I see…?"

Why was he acting like this? Why was he acting like his heart had been broken…

"What do you feel when you're here?" Axel asked gently, never looking away from the shifting water. The water's reflection shinned in his eyes; to Kairi it looked as if he could cry.

"It's just like any other world," he said, something struggling within him as he tried to understand. "But it's like nothing I've ever seen before and…."

Her eyes saddened as she looked at him, trying to put her thoughts into words.

"This is where Riku and Sora would bring me during our summers…I have many memories of this place…I feel peaceful here. Everything else seems to disappear…"

Axel's green eyes flashed angrily for a moment when she said "disappear" and he turned his head away from her, looking at the distant main land. His hands were tight fists.

Kairi's hand twitched, as if to reach out to this Nobody. What were these feelings? He captured her…he had never acted so vulnerable before. Something must have happened…

"Axel?"

Axel took a deep breath and turned back to her, his narrowed eyes locking on her like a target. "What?"

His voice was harsh and cold but she waited a moment before asking.

"What do you feel when you're here?"

Axel's hardened expression fell and he looked confused. His voice was sad, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Do you…feel anything?"

His eyes glossed over and he looked down at the sand, laughing once in disbelief, "No one's asked me that before…"

His eyes flashed again and his expression changed again into a grimace, all good humor gone. "Nobodies feeling nothing," he snapped at her. "Got it memorized?"

"But you do."

Axel's eyes widened and he looked at her, taking in every detail of her youthful face. He stared at her for what seemed like hours and she stared back, not knowing what he was searching for in her blue eyes. When he finally looked away from her, Kairi looked out to the horizon and saw that the sun was gone. Big black clouds were coming over the horizon towards the island and the stars twinkled on the gently rocking water.

Kairi heard a familiar whooshing sound and looked down, seeing a dark portal appear in the sand, crawling up to immerse her in darkness.

"Axel?"

She looked at Axel with frightened eyes, not understanding why he was sending her away. He did not meet her eyes, only looked away from her. His eyes were sad and filled with disappointment.

"You shouldn't be here."

The darkness covered her and dragged her beneath the sand, taking her back to Castle Oblivion.

Axel hugged his knees tighter, letting the cold breeze wash over him as he watched the shadows grow.

"Open your eyes, Princess."

Kairi's mind repelled the teasing voice she had come to know too well but opened her eyes when she heard a strange sound… a train.

Axel was next to her; she could feel heat radiating from his leather clad body. They were sitting on the ledge of a clock tower…The train whistle came from below and Kairi could see it snaking through a sleepy town, one she'd seen before in a dream. The sky was a vibrant orange with wispy clouds crawling across it. The sun was sinking beneath the distant hills but it didn't move; it was frozen in sunset.

"This," Axel said after a moment, "is where I come when things in 'Nobody Land' get a little too heavy."

"Where are we?" Kairi asked as she looked down, seeing the ground far below them. She knew she should be afraid but she couldn't feel any fear.

"Twilight Town," Axel answered, his thin lips smiling.

She looked at him closely, her eyes guarded. She was sitting very close to him, their arms barely touching but she was more occupied with his change of attitude. Last time she saw him was on her beach, however many hours or days ago that had been. He was the complete opposite, acting sneaky as usually. For someone without a heart, he certainly had a lot of mood swings.

But something in his emerald eyes told her that the sadness was still there. And disappointment; like he's searching for something and coming up empty handed every time.

"And…does this place make you feel better?"

Axel laughed at her, "silly girl. If this stupid place did make me feel better, I wouldn't know it."

"Then why do you come here?"

Axel's smile faded a little, "Roxas and I used to come here after completing our missions. This place…reminds me of him."

Kairi looked up at the vast sky above them, "this place is beautiful."

Axel straightened up and smirked, "it's alright."

"But it's better than your world."

"_That_ place is _not_ my world," he said almost angrily.

"Which do you prefer then?"

"Why do you ask so many questions?"

Kairi gasped when she turned her head, realizing Axel's eyes were inches from her face, the stunning green piercing her. His brow was furrowed and he looked like an angry child, frustrated.

"I came here to get away from questions."

"Then why drag me along?"

Axel backed away, smiling again, "No need to be snippy, princess."

Kairi huffed and looked away from him, wishing she could jump off the ledge and run away…but she needed him to get back home. If she'd ever see home again.

"The Light is too bright and the Dark is too dark," Axel said simply. "This is a happy medium for me."

"Then why go back to the Organization at all?"

"You already know that answer, Kairi." He said softly, surprising her when he said her name. "If you want to stay out of trouble, you won't ask me that."

Kairi's eyes narrowed as she read his expression...Though he was her captor and her enemy, she couldn't help but notice his strange beauty: his eyes were striking, such vibrant green, and his violent red hair emphasized them brilliantly. He was handsome, but she did not dare to encourage him. She felt strange for even thinking it.

"Trying to read my mind, princess?" he asked with a smile, leaning closer to her.

"You don't want to go back," she whispered. "That's why you're always running away, isn't it?"

Axel's face changed into a harsh grimace, "what's wrong with you? Are you trying to get us caught? Here," he reached behind him and drew out two light blue popsicles. "Maybe this will shut you up for a little while and buy us more time."

He handed her the ice cream and she hesitated before taking a lick. It was salty and sweet at the same time.

She grimaced at him, "you know you're making it difficult for me to hate you."

Axel stopped eating his ice cream and looked at her with a different expression, his eyes full of some emotion she had never seen in him before.

He stared at her and then smiled, "well I can throw you in the dungeon if that would make you happy, princess."

She felt a smile appearing on her face and then she laughed, turning back to her ice cream. He smirked at the sound and took another bite of the sweet and salty treat.

They sat in silence, watching the frozen sunset. She often glanced at him, admiring his long spiky hair. The bright colors of the sunset suited him here. Despite his long menacing black coat, he looked as if he could belong in this world.

She smiled to herself and knew her time here would be short lived, just like when they were at her beach.

"You're not bad, Axel."

She saw Axel's head turn to her and she knew she had taken him by surprise. She met his eyes, knowing she only had a few more seconds.

"You're not a bad person."

Axel stared at her in amazement and as he tried to mask his face with indifference, he lifted his hand, creating a portal beneath her.

"You shouldn't be here."

Kairi looked away from him and was consumed by darkness.

Axel closed the portal and looked down at his ice cream, not wanting to finish it. His saddened expression changed into a glare as he took one last look at the sunset. The scenery and the empty spot next to him only made him angry and he slammed his fist down on the clock tower ledge, summoning another portal to take him back to where he belonged.

Axel held his breath as he waited for the portal to disappear. Once he heard the sound of waves breaking on the shore, he released his breath, letting the darkness fade around him.

He was at the beach where the Nobodies visited, in the World That Never Was. The sky was dotted with stars and a full moon hung low near the horizon, illuminating the dark water below.

He was on the ground on his hands and knees and he winced as he tried to breathe. His leather cloak suddenly felt heavier and he couldn't think straight. He clutched his side, unable to make the pinching stinging pain go away with his healing powers. He was badly wounded and he could only think of one person to help him.

With the last strength he had, he closed his eyes and imagined where she would be, sitting alone in her cell…and he summoned a portal around her…

A whooshing sound broke through the peacefulness of the beach and Axel opened his eyes. Somehow the sight of her calmed him…even though she could irritate him more than the entire Organization put together…regardless, he needed her now.

She was standing a few feet away, gazing around her. Though she looked confused, she was used to Axel's summoning. She was wearing what she always wore, the only clothes she had; a strapless pink dress with three zippers lining it with a short white dress underneath. Her blue eyes gleamed in the light of the moon and her auburn hair blew about her face, falling past her shoulders. Her eyes wandered around the beach until they found Axel's figure on the sand and they widened in surprise.

"Axel…?"

She hesitated and he watched her as she came forward, her arms raised as if she wanted to reach out to him.

He shut his eyes tightly and laughed weakly, "Don't be so worried, princess."

He lifted one foot and placed it firmly on the sand, bracing himself as he stood. He stood tall and looked at her, seeing her worried face. Axel felt his "lighthearted" smirk fade: no one had ever looked at him like that. And he wasn't sure how to feel about it...instead he glared.

"No sympathy needed here, Princess…I feel…"

His sharp eyes narrowed as the pain in his side seared through him, crippling him. He felt his body fall forward, wanting to meet the sand, but something hard hit him in the chest and wrapped around him, holding him up.

"Axel…"

He opened his eyes and looked at the back of her head, her hair brushing his face. She felt warm…warmer than _him_. He took her by the arms, pushing himself up. He held onto her for a moment, steadying himself, and looked into her eyes. She looked at him with a pleading look and he felt her warm hands on his chest.

"Don't start crying over me," he said with a laugh, trying to make her smile...

She moved under his arm, and put hers around him, "lean on me."

He looked at her with a disbelieving look; he admired her strength for thinking she could carry him but as they walked, he carried most of his weight. They went to the nearby rocks and he sat down gingerly and fell against a flat cool stone, resting his back.

He laughed humorlessly to himself as he lay there, letting the breeze wash over him.

"I've never been injured like this before…only by Xemnas…" He felt his anger rise as he thought of that name…but he didn't have enough energy to be angry. He released his tense muscles as he exhaled and he closed his eyes, feeling the cool breeze wash up his body.

He felt Kairi sit next to him and he could feel her eyes on his face. He kept his body still, trying to focus all of his attention on his wound, trying to heal it. His healing powers weren't strong enough to even make the pain go away…instead it continued to hurt just as much as it did when he had received it.

"What happened?" Kairi said. Her voice was barely audible over the waves.

Axel took a deep breath, trying to keep his voice patient as his mind focused on his side, "an ambush during a mission." He winced and laughed darkly, "I told them we'd get attacked but none of them listened. Now they're all licking their wounds."

He winced again, pain flashing across his face and he heard Kairi laugh.

"Like you are right now?"

Axel shot her a glare, "No. I stayed. They left as soon as they saw that the battle was lost. I stayed."

Kairi's smile faded and he closed his eyes again, reaching for his side; the wound was spreading. He was beginning to feel his exhaustion taking over his body, losing what energy he had left to heal himself. He wouldn't tell Kairi where the battle had been…or that he'd fought Leon and Cloud. It would only remind her that he'd captured her…and she'd want to leave again…

He took a deep breath, rejecting the empty feeling in his chest as he thought of her leaving, and concentrated. It was bad enough that she was sitting there in his time of weakness.

"I need you to heal me." Axel said tightly. "And that's not a question."

He felt Kairi's body tense and a dark smile crept over his lips as he spoke in a low voice as if to reveal her secret, "I know you can."

Kairi stared at him in surprise and then in anger.

"Don't ask me to do something I can't."

"At least try, princess," he said, his humor returning to him. "You can't make it any worse."

Kairi became a statue, staring into his piercing green eyes and after a long moment, he moved his hands to the top of his cloak, tired of wasting time. He took the zipper and winced as he struggled to pull it all the way down. The cloak fell open, revealing his bare chest, black pants and knee high black boots. The breeze shocked his warm skin and his head fell back to the rocks, too tired to make another move.

Kairi stared at the wound at his side, what looked to be long scratches stretching across his ribs to his back. He wasn't bleeding above the skin but beneath it were blue and purple bruises. He lay there for what felt like an hour, feeling her gaze on his bare skin.

"I don't like this any more than you do," he said finally, opening his eyes and staring up into the night sky. "But if you want to see your friends again…" he turned his head and locked his eyes with hers, "you'll do what I ask."

He was not surprised as he watched the realization cross her face; he knew how badly she wanted to return home…it was the only weapon he had against her to make her follow orders.

She looked back to his side, her pink lips parted as she breathed carefully through her mouth.

He closed his eyes again but he could feel her move as she reached forward with a hesitant hand. He winced and then sighed as he felt something warm against his skin.

"You're cold."

He smiled at the sound of her surprise, "now you understand the urgency."

His body was always a walking furnace and now he felt, for the first time of his Nobody existence, cold. He could feel the heat slowly slipping away from him.

Her hand felt very warm…warmth he had never experienced before. He opened his eyes but did not look at her, his eyes narrowing as he focused on her hand. He could feel the tension in her fingers and could hear the nervousness in her breathing; she was trying too hard.

"Just breathe," he said gently.

But she stopped breathing and just as he turned to look at her, she released the tension in her fingers and like a pulse, warmth spread over his side, his stomach, his chest. He gasped and her hand grew warmer, to a temperature he was used to feeling. He felt the warmth swimming in his chest and he stole a glimpse at her.

Her eyes were closed and she looked peaceful, as if she were asleep. He looked down at her hand and saw that his skin beneath it was glowing softly. He looked back up to her face and was suddenly looking into her blue eyes.

He stared at her in surprise, taken aback by the subtle emotion in her face. He felt the warmth in his chest fading to his side and the pain fading with it. The warmth lingered in his wound and slowly returned to her fingers.

She released him and examined her hand. Axel looked down at his side and saw the wound had faded.

Axel's brow furrowed as he became lost in thought and her voice seemed far away.

"How did you know I could do that?"

He felt a smirk spread across his face, "lucky guess."

He took a few deep breaths, filling his lungs and slowly releasing.

"I guess I owe you one, Kairi." He smiled mischievously. "I didn't know you had it in you."

"Me either…"

He opened his eyes and saw she was staring at the dark sea, her blue eyes serious.

He sat up, zipped up his cloak, and leaned back on his hands, his strength slowly returning. "I guess there's more to you than meets the eye."

She turned and looked at him, her eyes big and curious as she stared into his.

"And you owe me..."

Axel leaned closer to her, smiling darkly as he spoke into her ear, "be careful of what you wish for; they'll come and take you away."

She sat still for a moment and Axel could feel his own breath against her cheek. He could see the conflicting emotions in her eyes and he was taken by surprise when she abruptly turned her face to his.

"Take me back to Destiny Islands."

He read her striking eyes and then raised his eyebrows, smiling at the authority in her voice, "your wish is my command, Princess."

He saw excitement appear in her eyes and as he felt suspicion take over him, his expression darkened, "Don't try any tricks; I'm _always_ one step ahead. Got it memorized?"

"Oh really?" she challenged, "I couldn't tell." She looked down to where his wound had been.

Axel's smile faded completely and he could feel his body heat climbing, his anger growing. He could feel the heat growing from his toes all the way up to his red hair, raging across his body as he stared into her blue eyes. He felt his body tense, as if he was going to attack her…

"_I was outnumbered_."

Even though she could see the anger clear in his eyes, she did not back down or seem threatened. She only stared at him, their faces still inches apart.

Kairi looked down and saw that his hand, tense and claw-like, was frozen in the space between them as if he was reaching for her hand that was resting next to her, to hurt her.

She looked back up to his green eyes and said, "I shouldn't be here."

Axel's expression fell, leaving his face blank. His body relaxed and he rested his arm on his knee.

After a moment, he smirked at her, "well if you'd rather be in your cell…"

He saw the gentleness in her eyes fade as she realized where she would be in the moment to follow.

Axel opened his hand and a black portal bloomed from the rock beneath her. It climbed up her body and the last he saw of her was her cold blue eyes before she disappeared.

Axel's smile faded as he stared at the spot where she had been and he touched his side where he could still feel the warmth of her hand. His brow furrowed in confusion and he began to wonder why he felt so strange…or why he felt anything at all.

He didn't like the way he reacted to her, wanting to hurt her and protect her at the same time…wanting to keep her and send her away…

He looked at the dark blue water, seeing her eyes, and his anger raged inside him.

"Nobodies feel nothing," he said grudgingly.

He stood and ripped his hand aside angrily, opening a portal, and he stormed away from the quiet beach.

She smiled for the first time in days, weeks, months. For the first time since Axel had taken her. He watched from a distance, hidden from her sight in the Realm of Darkness; he was in the same world as she was but Nobodies could roam between worlds, between Light and Dark. His eyes shinned with interest and slight fascination as they stayed locked on her face.

He had watched her appear on the shore while he stood on the small dock a few feet away. She did not notice him, only the sunset, the water, and her beach. He was hidden though he knew she was aware of his presence. But he saw the excitement in her eyes and knew she would take every moment she had to roam free.

His arms were crossed tightly over his broad chest, his red hair and long coat blowing in the island breeze, and his eyes watched her closely. He noticed the small smile on her pink lips as she took off her shoes, throwing them aside to feel the sand beneath her feet. She walked into the water until it splashed up to her knees and she closed her eyes, lifting her face to the last rays of the sun.

Her face was so calm and renewed, like someone seeing the light after being locked in darkness for an eternity. Her smile was real, unlike the ones he saw on the faces of Nobodies. Her hair, her skin…Everything belonging to her glowed in the sunlight, thrived in it.

It had been several days since Axel had last seen her; he was unable to sneak her away while the Organization was completing missions and carrying out orders. But he wanted to keep his promise, even if it was only for a few minutes.

She skimmed her hand over the top of the water, her blue eyes mesmerized. She stared at the water for a long time. Normally, Axel would have been bored. But he felt relaxed and intrigued by the small uninteresting beach…the sound of the water was soothing, as was Kairi. His face was stone-like, emotionless. Though he noticed the affect this place had on him.

Or maybe it wasn't just the beach he was reacting to.

Kairi looked up from the water and glanced over her shoulder. Axel could see her growing uncomfortable as she realized that he had not shown himself yet. He was surprised she hadn't tried to run yet. She looked nervous, almost frightened, and he thought her reaction was silly. She knew he was with her, she should not be afraid of anything…

That feeling alone should send him into a rage, to have the desire to remove her, but he did not feel any anger. And this made him anxious. What was happening to him?

Kairi emerged from the water, walking back to the shore. He watched her carefully as her eyes paused on the dock where he was standing. But he did not show himself; he wanted to wait a little while longer.

She fell onto the sand, closing her eyes as she relaxed her body. She took a few deep breaths and then smiled teasingly.

"I know you're here."

He inhaled, filling his chest with the salty air, and stepped off the dock, walking through the Darkness of this world that she could not see. His eyes stayed locked on her body as he walked across the sand, still invisible to her eyes.

"Why don't you come out?" She asked sweetly, still expecting to hear him. "We have nothing to fear here…right?"

Axel paused above her head, staring down at her face. He had a strange feeling in his chest…the feeling he usually felt when he was with her. He expected to feel…_happy_ or any type of feeling but instead he felt emptier than he had felt before. He wanted her to fall asleep…

"I knew you would like it here," she said with a quiet laugh. "It suits you…and it's warm like your skin…"

His eyes narrowed angrily and he knelt down to the sand, sitting next to her. He no longer knew the reason why he brought her here. He didn't like the way she was talking. He half wanted to leave her here, to let her go home. But more than that, he wanted to stay here with her, to not go back to the Organization.

He rested his elbows on his knees and bent his head low, trying to hear her.

"If I could, I'd stay here forever," she said with a sigh. "I think you would too. You may not like to admit it, but I think you like the sun, the light."

He glanced down at her side and saw her hand, her palm facing up on the sand. He stared at it for a long time and did not realize his hand was moving towards it until his fingers touched her palm. His hand froze, his fingers hovering above her hand, barely touching it. Even through his leather glove, he could feel the warmth of her skin, a warmth he wanted to feel again ever since the night she had healed him.

But she did not feel it; he had completely masked himself from her. He wondered what she would do if she could feel his fingers on hers. But then he removed his hand from hers and turned away from her, looking at the ocean.

He had kept his promise and he could feel tension rising within the Organization…there were things to be done and loose ends to tie up.

He took one more look at her peaceful face and sadness appeared in his eyes, not wanting to leave this place or her…

"Time to go, Princess."

Kairi's eyes shot open and she saw him above, sitting next to her.

"Axel?"

He locked his eyes with hers as the dark portal consumed her and took her away.

He sat on the beach for a long time, his eyes not leaving the spot where she had been, not wanting to see the other members. No matter where he was, he always had to leave. He could never stay where he wanted to be.

His face tensed angrily and he shouted, all his emotion bursting into flames around him. In one moment, he was surrounded by an inferno then dragged into the sand.

Kairi stayed still under the metal staircase, her chest rising and falling fast as she tried to catch her breath. The stairs were not the best place for her to hide, nowhere was in Castle Oblivion; Nobodies were everywhere and she was beginning to think that her attempt to escape was not the best choice to make. She was suddenly terrified to be caught by the Organization Member following her…

She had not known she was being followed; the thought had entered her head as soon as she heard deep laughter…

She forgot they could play mind games.

"Come out come out, Princess," said the deep playful voice.

It was not Axel's voice, and because of that, she knew she was in danger.

She crept under the stairs, trying to hide in the shadows they cast but it was useless; there were openings on either side of her and the vast room was filled with the moonlight that was flowing in from the tall glass walls.

But she held her breath and tried to resist the urge to move, feeling the cold metal on her back.

The Nobody laughed again.

"I think your little mouse has escaped, Axel." He laughed and Kairi's breath caught; she knew that as soon as the Nobody had mentioned Axel's name, he would appear.

Kairi turned her face and saw the Nobody, his face close to hers and smiling at her wickedly, and before she could move, he took her by the arm and ripped her out from under the stairs.

He slammed her against a wall, pinning her by the throat with his hand. He was bigger than Axel and much older, though they did not have ages. His long dark black and purple hair fell down over his shoulder and she stared into his yellow eye, the other covered by a black patch.

"This will only hurt a little bit, Princess," he said with a nasty smile, his strange weapon appearing in his free hand. All she saw was purple spikes before he was suddenly ripped away from her.

She dropped to the ground and heard yelling and shouting coming from the Nobody. She glanced up and saw Axel pinning his fellow Organization member to the glass wall across the room. Axel's body was tense and she could sense the anger radiating from him.

"We were only playing a little game," The Nobody said with a teasing laugh, "a little cat and mouse. Maybe you should keep a better eye on her if you don't want her to have any fun..."

The Nobody laughed one last time and Kairi heard the familiar sound of a portal.  
"Better hope I don't tell Xemnas, Flame Boy."

The Nobody disappeared and Axel stood still for a long moment before turning around, his eyes meeting with Kairi's.

Kairi had not been worried until she saw Axel's face: he was furious.

She felt her heart fall in her chest at the sight of him.

"Axel…"

There was a loud noise and suddenly the white metal room was filled with Dusks, lesser Nobodies controlled by the Organization. Axel summoned his weapons, flaming metal wheels with spikes, and his expression was deadly as he stared down the Dusks closest to Kairi.

"Touch her and die!"

The Dusks went to attack Kairi and she braced herself against the metal wall, ready to use what energy she had to fight. She heard Axel attacking them as he made his way to her and as soon as she looked up, he was over her, using his body to shield hers. Darkness consumed them and they heard laughing as they left the castle behind.

They were in complete darkness for only a moment but Kairi didn't lose sight of Axel's face above her, clear as day in the darkness. His face was like stone and his eyes were excited. But excited with which emotion, she did not know.

She expected him to take her to her beach, expecting to feel the sun on her face, but when the darkness faded, they were somewhere she had never been before. It was twilight here, the sky bright orange and purple near the horizon and when Kairi heard the sound of a train, she knew they were somewhere in Twilight Town.

They were standing on top of a hill, a terrace looking over the sleepy town and the sunset. Kairi looked back to Axel and saw that he was glaring down at the ground, his hands balled up into tight fists.

Kairi felt pained and didn't realize she was reaching out to him until her hand touched his cloak…

"Axel…"

"Why did you do that?" he asked harshly.

He did not pull away from her touch but the intensity of his voice caused Kairi to take her hand back, stepping away from him.

His wild eyes locked with hers, shocked by the hurt she saw there.

She stumbled over her words, emotion building up inside her, "I-I wanted to-"

"You would risk your life and mine to escape?" his voice rose and disturbed the peaceful spot, upsetting the softness of the setting sun.

"No, I only wanted to-"

"To escape?" He asked angrily.

"If you want the truth, yes!" she snapped back, his anger affecting her. "I can't stand it there!"

"Well too bad Princess, you don't have a choice."

His dark humor irritated her but as she stared at his face, glowing in the sunset, she saw something strange…he looked almost sad. But his anger clouded his eyes and she couldn't see it anymore.

She spoke without thinking, "you would do the same thing if you could!"

His eyes narrowed as he tried to read her face. He stepped closer to her, towering over her until she was looking up into his striking eyes. She felt completely vulnerable.

"Don't say things like that, _Kairi_. They'll come take you away."

She didn't have a retort; his intense mood changes confused her more than anything else. She felt trapped by his eyes but at the same time she felt safe. When he had protected her, she had wanted to help him, to reassure him that she was alright…In those deep green eyes she saw loneliness and ancient heartbreak that had been there long before he had become a Nobody. She wanted to take that away.

He read her eyes for what felt like an hour, staring down at her with a blank expression but his gaze was soft. What were these strange feelings? He was her captor and she had tried to escape him moments ago but now didn't want to be anywhere else.

She opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out. He watched her as she tried to form her words, her eyes never leaving his.

"I…don't want to leave."

She waited for a moment, waited for him to tease her or say something cruel but his expression didn't change. The words didn't sound right to her and she wanted to make them clearer. Her head and her heart struggled together, one telling the other to stop speaking.

"I don't want…to leave _you_."

Axel's lips parted and his brows knitted together, his face not revealing much of what he was thinking but she could tell he was taken by surprise. He still looked angry.

As he stared at her, she read his eyes and realized she wanted to touch his face. She knew this might be the only moment she would ever have to be this way with him, the only time he would let his guard down. She wanted to make the pain in his eyes disappear. If she could heal his physical wounds, maybe she could heal that too.

She lifted her hand and when he did not move away from her, she touched his cheek. His skin was warmer than she expected, almost like a dying ember in a fire. His eyes flashed with shock as she touched him but he did not move away. She touched his cheek, his forehead and her fingers ran through the thick red mane that was his hair, soft and warm like his skin. It was when she touched his face again, her fingers trailing down to his lips that he spoke.

"Time to go, Princess."

She looked into his eyes again, surprised by the softness of his voice, and saw that the pain was still there but it was different than before. Her eyes pleaded with his but she knew she would not win. Her fingers stayed on his face, barely touching the curve of his lips, and she thought for a moment he had closed his eyes, feeling the touch of her skin on his.

She heard a portal open beneath her and she watched his face disappear as the darkness surrounded her.

"You still haven't answered my question."

Axel's green eyes flashed and he glared at her. He didn't like her questions.

But he controlled his reaction and smiled pleasantly, putting his hands behind his head as he relaxed into the sand. "And what would that be, Kairi?"

"Why do you bring me here?"

His good humor faded and to calm himself he closed his eyes, feeling the wind whip through his long spiky hair. They were on the beach again, days after they had last been here. Their last encounter was a distant memory; neither of them mentioned it but neither had forgotten. Axel chose to ignore it and knew it was best; he couldn't risk getting himself into trouble again. But he felt renewed every time he stepped onto the sand where as Kairi was growing more impatient; he could feel her irritation growing.

She was standing a few feet away from him, closer to the shore, and he watched her stare at him with steely eyes, her arms tense by her sides. The ocean was sparkling brightly, the sun almost completely faded under the horizon. They watched the sunset without speaking to each other. Axel enjoyed teasing her when she was irritated with him, to watch her expressions change.

"Why so angry today, your highness?" he asked with a clever smirk. She looked at him angrily and his humor disappeared instantly. "Don't ask questions."

"I'm asking you one now," she said, anger flashing in her blue eyes.

He growled and sat up on his elbows, looking at her with the same anger, "what's wrong with you? You want to stay, you want to go. Doesn't this make you _happy_? All those _feelings_ you claim to feel when you're here?"

"I can't be happy when I'm being held as a prisoner."

"Isn't this what you want?" He gestured out to the ocean, his anger rising in his eyes as he looked at her. The mere sight of her stoked the fire of his frustration. "There's just no pleasing you, is there, _princess_?"

She glared at him, her teeth gritting, and her hands turned into fists.

"If you want to make me happy, take me home."

Axel felt his face melt into fury and he yelled, startling Kairi. He pushed himself onto his feet, his fingers claw-like as he breathed heavily. His eyes were violent as he felt his body ignite and before he could stop it, they were surrounded by flames, the pleasant beach disappearing.

Kairi gasped and winced away from the blazing flames, looking around for an escape. Looking at her only made it worse; he had never been this angry before.

He turned to her, his tall lean figure the only thing visible to her in the furnace.

"What do you want from me!?" he shouted.

Kairi stared at him with fear in her eyes and he could only feel his body growing hotter as he glared at her.

"I can't do anything right! I've been disobeying orders every time I take you away from that castle and you're still not satisfied!"

Kairi's blue eyes saddened and he could barely hear her voice over the furious flames around them.

"Axel!"

He closed his eyes tightly, but he still saw her face.

"What do you want from me!?"

He yelled again, the flames intensifying, and he hoped they would burn him into oblivion.

He felt warm hands on his face. His eyes flew open and he saw her, the closest she had ever been. Her eyes were clearer than water and her hair was blowing violently around her face. She was shouting his name but he couldn't hear her, he could only see her face.

His anger melted away and he could hear her voice.

"Axel, I don't want anything from you."

He felt the flames disappearing as his body relaxed, trying to understand why he felt cold when her hands were so warm.

The roaring flames sank slowly into the sand and he could hear the ocean next to him, the sinking sun lighting their faces. Axel remained standing in front of her, his arms still tense at his side. He looked down into her eyes as she held his face; she was being honest, he could see that, and she was still here, not trying to run away.

She stared at him for a long time, her fingers soft against his face like they had been in Twilight Town. Her gentleness confused him yet he wanted her to stay. He felt…

Slowly, his hand moved next to him, his fingers reaching for her. He looked at her sadly, knowing this might be the last time she would be with him like this. He could feel…

He reached towards her without thinking and his hand shook between them, terrified to touch her but aching to at the same time.

She smiled a little.

His voice was husky, "I …"

She stared at him, waiting, but he knew their time was up.

"Our time is up…" he said slowly, reading her confused expression. His eyes roamed over her face, trying to commit it to memory…

"Kairi," he said at last, feeling the darkness pull her away.

She looked down at the back portal forming around her and she quickly met his eyes. Her eyes were glossy…tears were in her eyes.

His eyes narrowed.

"Axel?"

"They're taking you away from me, princess," he said, his face hard. "You shouldn't be here, remember?"

She ignored his question and spoke quickly, her eyes were pleading, "Axel, I won't leave you!"

His chest ached, feeling empty when he heard her words, and he stepped away from her, watching her reach for him as the darkness crawled up her body, covering her face…

"Be strong, Kairi," he said at last, his eyes narrow. He struggled internally, wanting to say more. Seeing her face so sad and the darkness crawling up her body gave him the encouragement he needed.

"I'll find you."

"Promise?" she asked quickly, holding onto his words.

His jaw tightened and all he could give her was a stiff nod.

The darkness swallowed her and he was left alone on the beach until another portal came to claim him too.

Axel fell hard to his hands and knees, his fists tightening as he tried to breathe and ignore the excruciating pain that was searing through his body. Far away he could hear screaming, someone calling his name…

The members above him, sitting in their raised thrones, looked down on him silently. Xemnas watched him with skeptical eyes, ready to strike him again.

Axel looked to the side and saw Xigbar holding Kairi in a tight grip, refusing to let her go. She pulled against him, her blue eyes filled with pain…pain she felt for him, her captor.

Kairi turned quickly and kicked the Nobody as hard as she could, freeing her hands when he let go. She ran out to Axel as fast as she could, her steps echoing around the tall circular room.

She fell next to him, wrapping her arms around his neck and shoulders.

"Just breathe, it's ok," she said quickly, her voice shaking.

"Nothing you can do will save him, Princess," Xemnas said evenly, no emotion in his cruel face or in his yellow eyes. "He will be punished for his actions…"

"It's useless, Kairi," Axel said breathlessly.

But he felt Kairi's grip tighten and suddenly everything brightened; a white light surrounded him and he felt weightless. He looked up at Xemnas and watched his face disappear in the light. He saw Kairi's face next to his, her eyes closed in concentration and her hands holding onto his cloak.

Immediately when she opened her eyes the brightness faded and he heard the sound of an ocean.

"What was that?" he asked after a long moment, after realizing where they were when he felt the sun on his face.

Kairi looked up and smiled a little at the ocean and the bright sunset.

"I don't know…" she looked at his face, releasing him from her hold, and read his eyes, trying to find an answer.

"That's never happened before."

"Apparently you've been holding out on me, Princess."

Axel winced and fell to his side, rolling over to his back. The pain was still too great for him to bear and she sat closer to him, leaning over him. Her face was worried and afraid…

But she had nothing to fear while he was with her…

"I was afraid something bad was going to happen," she said, trying to slow her quick startled breathing as she looked out at the ocean.

"I wasn't going to let anything happen to you," Axel said solemnly.

Kairi looked at his face, her brow furrowing as she saw him wince, "I didn't do it to save me."

Axel closed his eyes, frustration knitting his brow, "I know."

She shouldn't talk like that.

"What will happen now?" Her voice shook, clearly frightened that the Organization would come after them at any moment.

"I don't know," he said darkly. And he didn't know; they could call him back to the Castle, they could take them both, they could take her…

"You should run while you can."

Kairi's eyes widened as she processed what he had said…he was letting her go.

The one thing she wanted most, the one thing she had been waiting painfully to hear…

And she didn't move.

"Axel," she said tenderly, reaching over him to lay her hand against his cheek.

He looked at her solemnly, expecting her to say goodbye.

Tears flooded her eyes and he saw how happy she was…to leave him. His chest ached but he still didn't understand why. His heart was breaking…but it wasn't there. He knew she would leave in a moment so he closed his eyes and felt the warmth of her hand on his face.

He was going to miss her.

"Axel…"

He could hear the smile in her voice…

"I don't want to go."

His eyes flew open and he saw her smiling face above his, her long red hair tickling his cheek. She looked…happy.

He lay still, not knowing what to do. He felt the hollow emotions he knew he should feel but they made him feel empty, reminding him of the heart that wasn't there. But he felt warmth, a different kind than what he was accustomed to.

"You…want to stay?"

Kairi only smiled at him, the most beautiful smile he had ever seen. A tear fell from her eye and it broke on his cheek. He felt the pain slipping away from his body…

"I'm not the only one who needs protecting," she said with a laugh, trying to make him smile.

But he couldn't. She wanted to stay with him. He wasn't sure how that made him feel…he should've felt "happy" but he only felt an emotion he was very used to. He felt sad.

"Kairi…"

Her smile fell as she saw the sadness in his eyes.

He knew why she wanted to stay, he had known ever since she had healed him for the first time, when she had touched his face for the first time…

He shook his head, all the while his chest aching as he looked at her beautiful face.

"You can't help me, Kairi."

She read his eyes; she was hurt by his words.

"You don't want me to be here?...with you?"

He stared at her, her sweet voice hurting him, more than Xemnas could ever hope to. He knew he would never see her again. But he wanted to make her smile again, not look at him like her heart was breaking.

She suddenly tensed as if she could see his thoughts, knowing this would be the last time she would see him.

"Why do you bring me here?" She asked quickly.

He felt them coming…the darkness was getting closer…

"Axel," she said louder, her voice frightened. "Why do you bring me here?"

He reached up to her face slowly, his gloved fingers hovering over her lips. He no longer cared what he should or should not do…he wanted to be selfish for a moment…why was she crying?

"Don't cry, Princess…"

"I know there must be a reason why you bring me here," she said pleadingly.

He smirked, "silly girl…"

She suddenly grabbed his hand and held it to her face. He gasped: not only was he touching her, but when he saw the emotion in her eyes, the pain he felt vanished. He might as well tell her the truth…he hoped it was what she wanted to hear…

The Nobodies were getting closer…

"I bring you here…" he said slowly, his fingers tightening in her hand.

Her blue eyes glistened like a restless ocean and she held onto him tighter. Why was she afraid? He wouldn't let anything happen to her…not while he was here…

They found them…

"…because you make me feel…"

Kairi's voice seemed far away, "feel what, Axel?"

He smiled a little, "Haven't you learned anything, Princess? Nobodies don't feel…"

"But you do…" Kairi said, touched by the thought he put into her head.

Another tear fell down her face and he looked at her curiously, almost irritated by her sad expression.

"Why are you crying?"

Her body shook; she could sense them coming for her too.

She whispered to him, "Because they're taking me away."

He closed his eyes. She had no idea what her words did to him.

"Remember what I told you?" he asked, looking at her face again.

She turned her face into his hand, feeling his warmth, "You'll find me."

"Kairi…"

Her eyes locked with his and he felt anger rise in him as he felt the darkness coming to take her.

"I will find you, got it memorized?"

She nodded her head and looked at him sweetly, "Axel…"

Darkness claimed her and he felt another portal coming for him. He looked away from the spot where she had been, closing his eyes and smirking.

"Silly girl," he said tenderly, feeling the darkness crawling up his body. "There's nothing to be afraid of…"


End file.
